Traditional packaging of multi-layered electronic assemblies involves a large number of close tolerance parts which must be assembled with screws or other fasteners. During actual assembly of the electronic product, access to different regions within the product case or cover is typically required at different times to make electrical interconnections or to fasten components to each other or to the cover. Such access to the product is typically required along several axes, and therefore such a method typically involves a relatively long assembly time, increasing the cost of the product produced. In addition, since component parts must fit within relatively close tolerances to physically enable the assembly of the product, the cost of components is increased.
In assembling an economical telephone terminal, specifically the Super Economical Terminal (SET) manufactured by Motorola, Inc., a need existed to provide a method for assembly of the phone terminal by connecting components along only one dimension or axis (i.e., "Z-axis" assembly). The need also existed to devise a method and terminal that did not require close tolerance parts or the use of fasteners in terminal assembly, yet which would securely hold the multi-layered electronic assembly inside the SET within the cover.